The National Tenants Union Ghana is calling for a review of Ghana’s rent laws and has proposed scrapping the current six-month rent advance limit in favour of allowing one-year rent payments.
According to the Union, the country’s rent laws have become outdated and require urgent reforms to reflect current housing realities.
Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs of the Union, Reindof Afrifa-Oware, said Ghana’s primary rental laws were passed in 1963 and later updated in 1986, but have seen little change over the past four decades.
Speaking on The Big Agenda on Adom TV, hosted by Nana Osei Ampofo Adjei, Mr. Afrifa-Oware stated that the Union has held several engagements with tenants regarding rent advance payments.
Under Ghana’s Rent Act 1963, landlords are prohibited from demanding or collecting more than six months’ rent advance for long-term residential accommodation.
President John Dramani Mahama has recently advocated strict compliance with the law by landlords.
However, Mr. Afrifa-Oware indicated that feedback gathered from tenants suggests many prefer paying one year’s rent in advance instead of six months.
According to him, some tenants believe the one-year arrangement gives them more flexibility and adequate time to prepare financially for subsequent payments.
“Majority of the people we engaged prefer one-year payment instead of six months,” he stated.
He further disclosed that discussions are ongoing regarding possible amendments to the rent law and appealed to authorities to consider revising the six-month provision to allow at least one-year rent advance payments in line with tenant preferences.
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